Rural practice can feel isolating, especially when you’re the only surgeon in the building…

Dr. Randy Lehman sits down with Dr. Steven Bodney, former ACS Governor and longtime Indiana surgeon, to talk about what it really takes to build a durable career in that environment.

Dr. Bodney reflects on his Army training, transitioning into solo rural practice, and helping build a new county hospital from the ground up. He shares how he developed a breast practice locally by owning the abnormal mammogram workup and learning the technical skills required to support it.

You’ll also hear gold nuggets from Dr. Bodney on resisting procedural trends, knowing when not to operate, and learning the hospital business model before asking for more equipment.

0:00 Intro

01:35 Dr. Bodney’s Background

7:27 Why Rural Surgery Is Special to Dr. Bodney

15:50 How I Do It: Building a Rural Breast Practice

48:50 Financial Corner

52:16 Classic Rural Surgery Stories

1:01:02 Resources for the Busy Rural Surgeon

Resources Mentioned:

American College of Surgeons:

https://www.facs.org

UpToDate:

https://www.uptodate.com

🌐 Connect with The Rural American Surgeon:

https://www.theruralamericansurgeon.com/

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